1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electronic gift key enabling a party to access an electronic greeting card, exclusive content, promotions, and/or store credits. Specifically, the invention includes a system and method and an item therefore whereby an electronic gift key, comprising a decorative cover with integrated circuit, memory, and interface, is linkable to a local system either physically or wirelessly, thereafter launching a website at a host system so as to allow a purchaser to customize a greeting card or a recipient to access a customized greeting card, promotions, and/or exclusive content at the host site and/or redeem store credits associated with the gift key at a retail and/or host website.
2. Background
Gift certificates and gift cards enjoy ever increasing popularity because of their convenience and ability to allow a recipient thereof to redeem store credits for the purchase of items desired by a recipient, rather than gifts chosen by a purchaser.
Gift certificates and cards are essentially the same, except that gift cards automate the checkout and accounting processes via a barcode or magnetic strip which is scanned or swiped at the time of purchase and use.
Gift cards may or may not have an assigned value prior to purchase. For example, some gift cards have no value until they are sold, at which time a cashier enters the amount which a buyer wishes to associate with the card. This information is rarely stored on the card, but rather stored in a database operated by a retailer which is cross referenced to the card via an identifier when a transaction is processed. Other gift cards, often referred to as stored-value cards, have a fixed value which is stored directly on the card and updated after each transaction. Stored-value cards eliminate the need for checkout and accounting processes at a remote site, thus simplifying network support requirements.
Counterfeiting is a major problem with gift cards typically mitigated via encryption methods and card design. Encryption methods are generally not robust given the relatively low monetary value assigned to gift cards. In terms of card design, a magnetic strip is often placed at a location along the card to prevent compatibility with many read/write devices.
Furthermore, gift certificates and gift cards require a purchaser to buy a non-customized greeting card separate and apart from the certificate or card. This reduces both perceived and actual convenience and value of gift certificates and cards.
Finally, gift certificates and cards require a purchaser or recipient to travel to a physical location operated by a retailer for the purpose of redemption. As such, many gift certificates and cards are never used. These lost transactions also include lost interactions during which advertising and marketing activities are possible to encourage impulse purchases beyond the value associated with the certificate or card. Some gift cards are redeemable online; however, the redemption process requires a purchaser or a recipient to manually enter one or more codes via a computer communicating with the internet.
Electronic greeting cards are described by Schutz in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/747,506 entitled Digital Computer System and Methods for Implementing a Financial Transaction and Karas et al. in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/313,934 entitled Electronic Gift Linking. Schutz teaches customization of an electronic greeting card. Schutz does not teach customizing or viewing a greeting card when a physical gift key is linked to a computer and does not associate a store credit with a gift key. Karas describes an electronic greeting card including a store credit associated with the electronic greeting card. Karas does not teach customizing or viewing a greeting card when a physical gift key is linked to a computer and does not associate a store credit with a gift key.
Hileman et al. describes a key and a gift card in U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/228,017 entitled Three-Party Authentication Method and System for E-Commerce Transactions. The key is a non-physical number divided into two or more portions. A portion of the key is communicated to a gift recipient via a physical item, namely, a gift card. Both key and gift card are required to activate the gift card and redeem money, goods, or services. In the present invention, the gift key is a self-contained single item enabling a recipient to immediately redeem store credits and access an electronic greeting card, an exclusive content, or a promotion. In Hileman, both the key and the gift card are required to redeem money, goods, or services. The gift card in Hileman not only unlocks access to credits but also includes a greeting to the recipient. In the present invention, the gift key is used to launch a website, when connected to a local system, which accesses an electronic greeting card, exclusive content, or promotion. Unlike Hileman, the present invention bifurcates the greeting card aspect of a gift from the physical item, namely, the gift key and presents a greeting card in an electronic form.
As is readily apparent from the discussions above, the related arts do not include a decorative item physically possessed by a purchaser or a recipient whereby the item enables the purchaser to electronically customize online content for the recipient and further enables the recipient to access the customized electronic greeting card, exclusive content, promotions, and/or redeem store credits at one or more online retail sites.
Therefore, what is required is a system and method which allow for the purchase, transfer, and use of a single physically-based gift item, enabling access to an electronic greeting card, exclusive content, promotions, and/or redeemable store credits via the internet in a secure, convenient, customizable, and controllable manner.